Last week I attended the PMI Global Corporate Council‘s semi-annual executive forum. This meeting included a one-day symposium with education leaders on the challenges and trends facing academic programs in project management.
I was a bit of a skeptic going in. I had known of PM programs in a few schools — my brother had attended courses with Frank Anbari at George Washington University — but I wondered how mainstream or widespread they had become. From what I saw last week, I must admit that there is more traction than I had expected.
In particular, the best programs are no longer strictly focusing on tools and techniques and are moving towards practical applications, teaching leadership skills, and providing hands-on opportunities via a variety of means, including internships, mentor programs, simulations, etc. Among the programs that impressed based on presentations and conversations:
- PM Program at the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering: John Cable, the program’s director, gave a great account of himself and the program. I was particularly impressed with the depth and freshness of the PM curriculum.
- MSPM Program at George Washington University: Per the comment above, GWU has had an active program for some time. Frank Anbari attended and presented.
- The various programs at Drexel University and Stevens Institute of Technology, represented by V.K. Narayanan and Louis Laucirica respectively.
Filed under: Leadership, People Development, Skills vs. competencies | Tagged: Drexel University, Frank Anbari, George Washington University, John Cable, Louis Laucirica, Project Management Education, Project Management Institute, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, V.K. Narayanan | Leave a comment »
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